


Never a Time Where We Have to Say Goodbye

by Hitsugi_Zirkus



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Teacher-Student Relationship, Waiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-10-22
Packaged: 2018-02-22 05:23:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2496017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hitsugi_Zirkus/pseuds/Hitsugi_Zirkus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Eren was fifteen years old, he met the Cutthroat Captain of Trost High. A promise was made between them, that Levi would wait until Eren was eighteen so that they could start a relationship together. </p><p>Three years pass, and Levi is waiting for Eren to show up. Now that "one day" was here, would they finally be together? Or would time have proven to have been too long?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never a Time Where We Have to Say Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my little sister, for her birthday today! uwu For a few months, she's been craving some fluff in the midst of all the feelsy angst she's been reading. So this is a fic for her. I'm not sure if this will cut it, but I tried to make it as happy and sappy as I could, haha. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy, Kisame! May your birthday be Hella Rad! :3c

By principle, Levi was a punctual person, usually impeccably so. People he was to meet would joke about it, saying he didn’t seem the kind of man to arrive on time, that he gave the appearance of someone who did as he liked without regard of what others thought. Maybe a few years back that was true, and while Levi still didn’t particularly care how others saw him, it was just his own ethical code and discipline that made him the person he was. He didn’t need judgments shoved at him.

This one time though. This one time, Levi was thinking maybe it would’ve been better to be just a little late.

The location wasn’t his idea. It was a bit too cool outside for his liking, the late October breeze ruffling his hair so much that there was no point in fixing his bangs back into place. The wooden tables were dirty, littered with crumbs and leaves and even a napkin. With his leather-gloved hand, Levi picked it up with a slight wrinkle of his nose and wiped at the table as best as he could, trying not to get irritated. It wasn’t just the mess, nor the fact that he was at a college student hotspot - a coffeeshop above the edge of a lake. The view, he heard, was stunning, especially in the evening, when the sun dipped low and made the water glisten like gold, and the Christmas lights on the shop lit up like fireflies.

At the moment, Levi didn’t see anything special about the place, and was very aware of how isolated he was - the man over thirty sitting in his own table off to the side, with a decently good view of the lake, nothing with him but the clothes on his back.

Levi let out a breath, tossing the napkin into the nearby trashcan. It bounced its way down, following the sinking feeling in Levi’s gut. He’d been on time, as usual. More so, actually. He’d arrived at four-thirty, half an hour before the meeting time.

A glance at his watch. 4:56. He shivered under his jacket. He should’ve brought something to distract himself with. Instead, his eyes roamed over to the other college-aged youngsters around, all of them chatting away or focused on their laptops or textbooks. None of their faces were one he recognized, or expected to see.

He let out another breath, running a hand through his hair. “Shitty little…”

The table was knocked on by a little fist at the corner of Levi’s eye. He looked over, a young man with blond hair and an easy-going smile standing there, a folded apron tied around his hips. Levi remembered him vaguely, had never actually spoken to him alone, but his friendly personality was one Levi simply could not bring himself to hate.

“Hey,” he said. ‘Armin’ read his nametag. “Mind if I join you for a second?”

Considering no one else was dashing over, Levi looked away. “I suppose not.”

Armin sat across from Levi, hands clasping over each other nervously, even as he continued to offer his smile. “You’ve been here for a while, but haven’t come inside yet. Is there anything I can get you?”

“I was waiting to get something.” Now that Levi thought about it, his solitude must look pretty pathetic, enough to warrant this little visit. “Are you going to shove me out for loitering?”

“No, nothing like that! I just wanted to ask,” Armin said with a little laugh, waving his hand. Then, less formally, he leaned slightly forward. “It’s been a long time since I saw you last. You’ve been in Sina for the past year, haven’t you? What was it again - a new position, right?”

He shrugged, impassive. “It was just an experimental thing.”

After getting acquainted with one of his best friends, Erwin, back in his messy senior year of high school, he’d gotten himself cleaned up a bit, started over from that rugged man most people continued to see and Levi occasionally projected. He’d gone to college though, gotten a degree in history, and started teaching it right back at that shitty high school. He’d helped though in changing that shithole for the better, or so the superintendent praised, laughing over Levi’s apparent nickname of the “Cutthroat Captain”. That’d been his occupation for the past so years, until he got an offer at a university in the neighboring city.

Armin nodded. “So I heard. Eren was telling me though that he thinks you should keep going on with your work there, saying it was better for you.” He laughed. “I don’t know how Trost will fare without you there to keep everyone in line though. Even though we’re in college now, it feels strange not to go back every once in a while. Eren would love to visit, anyway, I’m sure.”

Levi commended himself in not reacting too obviously to that name. He thought of fiery eyes, so at odds with their cool color. Briefly recalled being told what Armin said by Eren himself when they talked on the phone after their days were through. Tapping a finger on the table, he said, “We’ll see. I haven’t decided on anything yet. Right now… I suppose leaving Rose for good doesn’t feel like an option yet.”

Armin hummed, neither agreeing or disagreeing with the statement. Then he too looked around. “So he’s not here yet, huh?”

There was no way to even pretend he didn’t know who Armin was talking about. Levi sat up just a little bit straighter. “No.”

He thought he did a good job in keeping the emotion out of his voice, but Armin wasn’t convinced. “You don’t have to worry. I mean, when has Eren ever been on time for anything?”

When indeed. Levi would need ten hands to count how many times Eren would arrive at his apartment or a rendezvous point belatedly, panting and red-faced, apologizing a thousand times over. Looking back on them, maybe those times were simpler. There was just their present moment, thinking of that “one day” that had been looming over the horizon for three years. Maybe now that “one day” was here, was real, there was nothing left to wait for. Kids were all about the chase, weren’t they?

Insecurity was not something Levi had, but he’d be lying if he didn’t look back on those times with a certain relish.

Back to Armin’s comment, Levi said, “I thought he’d be a responsible adult by now. Guess I didn’t teach him well enough. How ungrateful.” There was no venom in his voice, despite his words. There was, however, a small pit of bitterness pooling in his chest. “It’s been a year. That should be plenty of time for a person to change.”

“Eren is still the same person at his core.” Armin’s smile lit up again at that. “And you don’t have to worry about anything, Mr. Ackerman. He’ll show up. Haven’t you two been waiting for three years to properly be together?”

The corner of Levi’s lips twitched. “Yeah.”

Armin’s gaze drifted down, to Levi’s chest, focusing on something there. His smile widened, softening. Then, with a nod, he rose up. “It’s pretty chilly. Want me to get you something while you wait?"

The wind picked up again as if to emphasize the cool weather, and Levi nodded. “I’ll be up in just a sec.” He waved at Armin, then went right back to waiting. His hand came up mindlessly in his musings, fingertips brushing against the pendant around his neck. It was something Eren had given him when he was in his junior year at Trost. It’d been December 24th, the day before Christmas and his birthday, and Eren _should_ have been spending time with his family, but instead there he was at Levi’s doorstep, thrusting a small, poorly-wrapped box into his hands.

“ _What’s this supposed to be…?”_

_“A gift, obviously.” Eren’s cheeks had colored, and not from the cold. “You’re supposed to accept it.”_

_A quip teetered at the tip of Levi’s tongue, but instead he’d opened up the present, holding up a little silver chain. Weighed down in the middle of it was a pendant in the shape of a wing, the feathers beautifully detailed, and coal black. Levi’s brows raised, not expecting something so...personal. It was a necklace, Eren bought it thinking he’d_ wear _it, and…_

_“Unzip your jacket.”_

_“Do what?” Eren’s eyes widened._

_“You heard me, brat. Show it to me.” Levi stood still, the necklace still hanging from his fingers, and he watched intently as Eren raised his shoulders, stain of red blush spreading as he did as he was told. And there, as he thought, was the peek of identical silver chain, disappearing under Eren’s shirt. Levi plucked it out from its hiding, gazed at the shine of pure white feathers facing the opposite direction of his black ones._

Had Eren been hiding it, thinking if Levi didn’t like his, he’d just toss it away? Levi thought it was such a innocent sentiment at the time, almost too cheesy for him to stand. But the necklace had ended up around his neck, his wing resting on his sternum, surprisingly weightless. Then there, as Eren stood embarrassed, and Levi wondered what the hell he did to end up at this point in his life, he leaned up and kissed Eren right there. Their kisses were supposed to wait like everything else, until Eren turned eighteen, until he became an adult and Levi wouldn’t get in trouble for having an illicit relationship with his student.

But well, damn. Levi _really_ didn’t know what the hell he did to ever deserve some brat with snowflakes in his hair offering him a present, making obvious suggestions of how much he thought about them being together, honestly and truly. How the hell did he deserve such sentiments?

Here he was though, years later, that very same proof of sentiment adorning his neck. He kept it clean, unconsciously felt over it when he was thinking or when he talked to Eren on the phone after he went to Sina. It wasn’t like those phone calls lost their frequency, or that Eren stopped saying, “Hey, it’s soon, isn’t it?”

Still… Still… Levi wondered if Eren ever stopped wearing his necklace in the past year.

5:07.

Levi scanned the area, but turned up empty. With a sigh, he rose up from his spot.

Three years was a long time. He waited this long, but how much longer did he have to go? It already felt like he gave so much already, but he didn’t realize how much until he was sitting alone on a filthy wooden table, cold and being bitterly bothered by thoughts of, “ _It was never going to work out. Now that he’s an adult too, it’s obvious that it was just a silly high school teacher crush. Toss the necklace when you get home. Don’t return any phone calls he sends_.”

Armin wasn’t at the counter when he walked inside. He went up, placed an order for some black coffee, and waited some more. He didn’t know where this childish doubt was coming from. Had the insecurity always been there, crawling beneath the surface as he smiled at Eren, as his hand was taken, as he heard that wild laughter? Shouldn’t he have built more trust than that with Eren? They were never bound by an official relationship, yet still, Levi asked no one else out, declined dates - he _waited_ , just like he told Eren he would.

“ _Mr. Ackerman… Levi, please wait for me! I’ll show you sir, I’ll become a strong adult! Please wait for me!_ ”

Levi exhaled. It occurred to him the reason he was sighing so much was probably because he was craving a cigarette. He’d tossed the habit ages ago. He hated how nasty it made his throat and lungs feel, and was disgusted by the scent clinging to him. He sure hoped the coffee would help.

“I _am_ waiting,” he muttered to himself. “Still am, you shitty brat…”

“Levi,” came the call of his name at the counter. He took his coffee, refreshingly hot on his palms and easing him already. As he made his way back outside, promising himself that he’d only sit around for another thirty minutes.

Maybe Eren thought waiting wasn’t worth it anymore?

His coffee splattered to the ground when he bumped into someone, staining both of their shoes and the hem of his pants. Cursing, Levi backed off from the sputtering perpetrator, ignoring the apologies to give a hard glare.

Levi’s expression softened right away.

“I’m _so_ sorry, shit, I’ll buy you… Oh.” Teal eyes blinked down at Levi, a good few inches above him. Eren had gotten taller. Again. His hair was an inch or two longer as well, tickling down the nape of his neck. He looked so different, even though the changes were subtle. They all added up, but Levi knew he was still looking into the eyes of that student that had confessed to liking him. The corners of Eren’s lips rose up - his smile was brighter than usual as he pulled Levi into his arms, letting out relieved breaths.

A spicy scent filled Levi’s nose. Was Eren wearing cologne? Levi closed his eyes, wrapped his own arms around the waist he knew so well, let his face get buried into Eren’s shoulder. Warm cascaded down his body, his own pure relief, because it was over, Eren was _here_ and he was _happy_ to see Levi and…

He’d worried for nothing. That’s all he could think about as Eren started a ramble of apologies.

“--and when the bus ran late, my phone died, so I couldn’t call you. I thought you’d leave or something, thinking I ditched you, and so I--”

“Why would I think that?” Levi couldn’t help but mock his own insecurities.

Eren’s hands slid down his arms, stopping at his wrists. After a beat of silence, he shook his head, offering an unsure grin. “I just got a little worried. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other, so I thought...maybe you’d get tired of waiting for me. It drove me crazy the whole way here - you’re finally back and I’m in college now, and it’s _okay_ now, I can…” He held Levi’s hands, gathering them up with his own. He shook their linked hands gently for emphasis. “I can do _this_. I can be with you, but what if you didn’t want that anymore? God, it seems so stupid now, looking at you, it…”

He paused, and Levi stared with raised brows. Eren shrank down a bit. “Aha… I’m blabbering,” he said in disbelief.

“Yeah, you are.”

Their attention was caught by Armin coming over with a mop and an amused look at the two of them. He caught Eren in a one-armed hug. “You’re not even in the building yet and you’re already knocking everything down, you titan.”

“I was going to say that you’re getting taller,” Levi added to Eren’s mortification. He reached up to flick his forehead. “Stop that.”

“What, is it breaking your neck to look at me?” Eren grinned mischievously as he said it. That earned him a punch to his shoulder.

Shaking his head, Armin shooed them away. “Yeah, yeah, please go make out in a place that isn’t in my line of view. I’ll get you a new drink, Mr. Ackerman. On the house, of course.”

“He still calls me Mr. Ackerman,” Levi mused as he and Eren moved back to an outside table. Levi sat back down in his seat, and Eren slid across from him.

“I think he still sees you as a figure of authority.”

“And you don’t?” Levi narrowed his eyes a bit for good measure.

“You can get scary, but you’re not just the Cutthroat Captain to me anymore.” Eren’s grin was large as he said it, like it was something that had been dormant on his lips for a long time, and now he could finally say it.

That was right. They could say those kinds of things to each other now. Levi could say it now, because he could admit it. At first he wasn’t sure, and the past three years had felt like a constant questioning state of his own feelings toward Eren. He’d just been a bratty student, after all. Even if Levi was a more sentimental person, he wasn’t allowed to even entertain the thought of reciprocating those romantic feelings for someone practically half his age.

But now he knew, for all the certainty that filled his chest the moment he looked up and saw Eren again. A year had been too long. Three years had been too long. To be able to sit like this, knowing nothing was stopping either of them from shouting at the top of their lungs how they felt about each other.

Levi chuckled to himself at the thought of acting like that.

Eren blinked at him. “What?”

“Nothing. You’re right.” He offered his own smile, aware of the tug of his muscles from how little he made the gesture. “I was worried too. That you wouldn’t show. And yeah,” he scoffed humorously, “it’s stupid, looking at you now. But I just kept thinking about how you were telling me to stay in Sina, and then you were late… I thought the signs were starting to pop up.”

Eren’s eyes widened, visibly shocked by Levi’s words. He knew the sort of rant that was coming just by that look. Hands flat on the table, Eren leaned in, expression firm. “You’re crazy, I’d never do that! Do you know how long I waited for this day? Why would I come this far with you and then just leave? I’d come, no matter what! If you weren’t here, I’d chase you all the way back to Sina!”

Warmth filled Levi’s chest at the fiery reassurance. That kind of gesture would be just the thing for Eren to do - Eren, the boy who used to look at him with such reverence, now openly defending his feelings. Armin was right after all. Levi missed being near that kind of passion, missed being near _Eren_.

His little display skewed open his jacket, and peeking out was a familiar white wing. Seeing it, realizing he’d been stupid to think Eren ever took less care of it than he did with his own, Levi almost blurted the words right there. Instead, he reached across the table, held Eren’s hand tightly. “Yeah. I know you would. Reckless brat.”

Eren looked down at their linked hands, relaxing back into his seat. He turned his hand over, running his thumb over the back of Levi’s palm with a dreamy smile. Levi didn’t even realize how the seconds ticking by increased. He barely noticed the breeze rising again, and only watched as it ruffled Eren’s hair. Levi knew the dark locks were thick and soft, stuck up in every which direction when Eren woke up late, being the last one to stumble in the classroom a few mornings. On those days, Levi would glare and toss the box of chalk right at him for his tardiness. He’d known about Eren’s feelings for him back then, but he never treated him differently from the other students. He watched him a little more though. Spent a little more time with him. Got to know him, found him interesting.

At some point, waiting for three years to pass until they could say they loved each other was less of a nuisance. Levi started counting down the days too, counted down the birthdays and graduations to Eren going to the next grade. He was still a teacher first and foremost, and helped Eren with his studies even though he wasn’t his student any longer.

Their positions were a little different now, even if technically the same. Levi had years more of experience, but he could see it now, that Eren was catching up. It made Levi slightly excited, watching Eren step closer to him. Their ground now was more even, and while Levi hadn’t moved much, Eren was getting to stand beside him. It was obvious to see as he gazed at Eren, leaning closer across the table.

Eren watched him, eyes falling down to his lips.

Inches from Eren’s face, Levi murmured, “Hey, you titan. You too.”

“Huh? O-oh!” Eren leaned forward again, and their lips caught each other. 

Levi hummed in approval in the kiss, opened his mouth just slightly so that they could move closer. Without a care of who saw them (who cared who saw anything they did now?), Levi kissed Eren over and over. Their kisses had always been quick, nothing more than pecks, but now Levi finally reveled in the feeling of Eren's soft lips, the slight spice of his taste. Eren sighed in bliss, running a hand through Levi's hair before they broke off. Levi claimed just one more kiss then pulled back as well.

Then, like a breath he'd been holding for so long, he let out, " _I love you, Eren Yeager_." And after that, he couldn't stop. Some part of him reassured him they had _so much time_ now, to be _together_ , and say those things _whenever they wanted_. But still, the words poured over and over again from his lips. He needed Eren to know, now that he could say it. "I love you. I love you. Eren, _I love you_."

Eren's breath hitched, and he squeezed Levi's hand. Then he laughed, and it was shaky, but so full of happiness. And then he too couldn't stop, and their foreheads were pressed together, lightly pushing back and forth, their necklaces falling forward and the wings nudged against one another.

"Levi, me too. Me too. I love you, Levi." Their voices were whispers, their eyes closed and hands grasping. At some point, Eren's grin had caught on to Levi's lips as well, and it was very much like they were both hearing the greatest news after fidgeting for so long. Levi's heart was overflowing from the blissful sensations pouring over them both. And for minutes, hours, who knew - they didn't let go. 

If Levi had been asked, he would say he’d never been waiting for someone to come into his life, light up his world, fuel the fire in his heart. He was a punctual person, after all. He didn’t like waiting.

But there was one person he’d been waiting for. And before he knew it, three years had passed, and now that person who was his other wing could stand beside him. From this point forward, there was no more waiting, and together, he and Eren could walk forward.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone curious, Levi does end up taking that job at Sina because Eren won't let him settle for anything less. Eren stays in Rose, but he visits Levi every weekend and whenever else he can, since they're only two hours away from each other.


End file.
